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United States History

United States History

Welcome! This guide was created to help you find resources related to the history of the United States. 

Use the tabs to navigate the pages of this guide.

An image of the united states at night, with lights, taken from obit by NASA

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Background Info


Using Reference Sources

Starting off with some reference sources that provide a broad overview of a topic can be a great way to get started. Gale Ebooks is a database that houses subject-specific encyclopedias, such as the "American Decades" series featured on this page.

There you can find info about different areas of life such as the arts, business and the economy, education, fashion, government and politics, law and justice, lifestyle and social trends, media, medicine, religion, science and technology, sports, and other important events. 

In the Primary Documents series of "American Decades" you can also find primary source documents connected to these same larger areas of life - legal, governmental documents, for example, letters, images, and more.

Using Gale Ebooksencyclopedias

Gale eBooks, formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library or GVRL, is a database that provides access to encyclopedias and subject dictionaries. It's a great place to start your research. 

Use the link below to look for articles using Gale eBooks.

Searching Tutorial for Gale Ebooks

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Search Tips


  1. Searching for an Article

Consider the MAIN concept you are exploring, and use that as a keyword to search this database for relevant articles.

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Keyword closeup in Gale Ebooks search box

  1. Selecting an Article

To read an article in Gale eBooks, click on the article title. Be sure to note the titles of the encyclopedias the articles come from. Finally, always read through more than one article to get multiple perspectives or views on an issue.

Remember to click the article title to read the whole article.

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Look at more than 1 article to get multiple views

  1.  Saving and Citing an Article

Once you click on an article title, look at the tools on the side for how to cite, send/email, download, etc., so you can take that article with you.

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Article sample in Gale eBooks

Note: This guide is still being updated, but it was last reviewed in May 2024. See errors? Have feedback or suggestions? Use the "Get Help" tab to contact us to let us know!

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